worry

[wur-ee, wuhr-ee]

verb (used without object)

worried, worrying 

1. to torment oneself with or suffer from disturbing thoughts; fret.

2. to move with effort.

   an old car worrying uphill.

verb (used with object)

worried, worrying 

1. to torment with cares, anxieties, etc.; trouble; plague.

   Synonyms: distress, badger, hector, harry, tease

2. to seize, especially by the throat, with the teeth and shake or mangle, as one animal does another.

3. to harass by repeated biting, snapping, etc.

noun

plural

worries 

1. a worried condition or feeling; uneasiness or anxiety.

   Synonyms: fear, misgiving, disquiet, solicitude, apprehension

2. a cause of uneasiness or anxiety; trouble.

3. the act of worrying.

4. Fox Hunting.,  the action of the hounds in tearing to pieces the carcass of a fox.

verb phrase

1. worry along / through,  to progress or succeed by constant effort, despite difficulty.

   to worry through an intolerable situation.

worry

/ ˈwʌrɪ /

verb

1. to be or cause to be anxious or uneasy, esp about something uncertain or potentially dangerous

2. (tr) to disturb the peace of mind of; bother

   don't worry me with trivialities

3. (intr; often foll by along or through) to proceed despite difficulties

4. to struggle or work

   to worry away at a problem

5. (tr) (of a dog, wolf, etc) to lacerate or kill by biting, shaking, etc

6. to bite, tear, or gnaw (at) with the teeth

   a dog worrying a bone

7. (tr) to move as specified, esp by repeated pushes

   they worried the log into the river

8. (tr) to touch or poke repeatedly and idly

9. obsolete,  to choke or cause to choke

10. informal,  you need not worry

noun

1. a state or feeling of anxiety

2. a person or thing that causes anxiety

3. an act of worrying

4. informal,  an expression used to express agreement or to convey that something is proceeding or has proceeded satisfactorily; no problem

Other Word Forms

• worrier noun
• worriless adjective
• worryingly adverb
• worrying adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of worry¹

First recorded before 900; Middle English weryen, werwen, wyrwyn “to strangle, bite, harass,” Old English wyrgan “to strangle”; cognate with German würgen

Word History and Origins

Origin of worry¹

Old English wyrgan; related to Old Frisian wergia to kill, Old High German wurgen (German ( er ) würgen to strangle), Old Norse virgill, urga rope

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. no worries, Also not to worry

   1. Don’t be worried or troubled; everything will be fine.

      We'll help you move your stuff, no worries!

   2. (used as a conventional reply to thank you or thanks).

      Oh, no worries, it was fun having you come with us!

Synonym Study

Worry, annoy, harass all mean to disturb or interfere with someone's comfort or peace of mind. To worry is to cause anxiety, apprehension, or care: to worry one's parents. To annoy is to vex or irritate by continued repetition of interferences: to annoy the neighbors. Harass implies long-continued disturbance, torment, or persecution: to harrass a creditor.

Example Sentences

"I have to be honest, I was a bit worried about it, you don't know what to expect," admits Ciccone.

Read more on BBC

When letters and bank cards mysteriously started popping through his letter box, Paul Harrison grew increasingly worried somebody was trying to steal his identity.

Read more on BBC

She expects the spat will rumble on but said she isn’t worried about it.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Asian markets mostly rose Monday as fresh hopes for a US interest rate cut provided some calm after last week's rollercoaster ride fuelled by worries of a tech bubble.

Read more on Barron's

"The overwhelming feelings are deep uncertainty and exhaustion. They see no clear path to return to their homes. They worry how to keep their children warm and fed."

Read more on BBC

Related Words

• anguish 
• apprehension 
• concern 
• doubt 
• fear 
• headache 
• misery 
• misgiving 
• pain 
• problem 
• uncertainty 
• uneasiness www.thesaurus.com
• woe 

When To Use

What are other ways to say worry?

The noun worry means “a worried condition or feeling.” How does worry compare to synonyms care and concern? Learn more on Thesaurus.com.